Soccer fans were once again left unsatisfied with England’s display in the UEFA Euro Cup 2024. Less than a week after their fortunate 1-0 win over Serbia, England came up against Denmark in Frankfurt. The Three Lions took the lead through their captain Harry Kane but were denied a victory thanks to a wonder goal from Morten Hjulmand. “Let’s look at the positives, They probably had the upper hand. You have to manage the game”, were the words of England vice-captain, Kyle Walker after the game.
The draw implies that England’s qualification to the round of 16 is still far from guaranteed. Their last group-stage game against Slovenia will hold the key to Gareth Southgate. Denmark, on the other hand, will be up against a distraught Serbian side, as they too look to secure qualification to the knockout stages.
Denmark gets the better of the tactical battle
Danish coach, Kasper Hjulmand knew he had to get his tactics spot on to yield a result against a vastly superior English side. Right from the starting whistle, Denmark outclassed Southgate and England. Their game plan of knowing when to press and when to drop back negated all the threats from their opponents.
Hjulmand will be delighted with the efforts and the performance of his players. His side beat the England press quite comfortably and were able to circulate the ball around the pitch rather well. In the end, Denmark will be slightly disappointed to not come with the three points, considering they had the better chances in front of the goal.
Questions arise surrounding the positional choices of Gareth Southgate
It was never going to be a walk in the park for Gareth Southgate when it came to deciding his strongest playing eleven. While the English fans have been content with his personnel selections, many cannot help but doubt whether some individuals are being deployed in their strongest positions or not. England’s passive game style just adds fuel to the debate.
Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are perhaps the most affected by Southgate’s gameplan. It is no secret that the Manchester City man prefers to roam in the central areas but is limited to the left flank for the national team. Bellingham, meanwhile, is visibly off his game playing in an advanced position in the midfield. Both carry a high influence on the potential of England to enjoy a successful Euros and will need to be fielded in their strongest positions to get the best out of them.
